The Bathroom Trick

We've all had nights where a continuous face-off with the refrigerator is more annoying and distracting than the current Dancing With The Stars playing on the tube.  Open the door.  Close the door.  A General Electric tango both irritaing and engrossing.  The mini lightbulb just serving as a disco ball in this late night dance.

The peanut butter is still there...interesting.  You'd think it could help you out and move behind the wilting lettuce...at least that way you wouldn't have to stare into it's glorious, chunky, brown eyes.  And hey, there's that leftover pasta that, like a good Italian, has aged extremely well.  These foods stare at you until you close the door, slink back to the couch, and look over your shoulder, walking away from a former lover.  J'adorelafrigator.

ALRIGHTTT FINE.  You leap off the couch and grab a spoon, a silver white flag of defeat. Wave it wildly as you yank open your lover's arms...err refrigerater door.  Grasping the peanut butter jar you twist the top to get that nutty beloved undressed and sink your spoon into the substance that has surely been crafted by the angels above. 

STOP!

Uh what?  You're kidding.  I'm 97% that if I don't put this spoon in my mouth right now I will die.  The feeling so intense that the thought of NOT eating it at this point is just rediculous and impossible.

I present to you, The Bathroom Trick.  I drink a lot of water...and coffee...and tea.  10/10 times if asked if I have to pee, I do.  It's just a fact.  So when I have a spoon, a fork, or a hand in something that I KNOW my body doesn't need, I put it down and go to the bathroom.    In the 90 or so seconds it takes, I realize I haven't died.  Imagaine that.  The chances of me going back to that jar has greatly decreased as I remember what an incredible and rewarding thing willpower is.  The Bathroom Trick saves me time and time again when that darn refridgerater is pissing me off...so..so punny.  And true.

Yours may not be the "Bathroom" trick.  Perhaps it's the Mailbox Trick: EVERY time you are about to annihilate food you don't need (and will feel bad eating after), take a walk to the mailbox.  Or maybe it's the Brushing Teeth Trick.  Or the Check Your Car's Mileage Trick.

The point is, choose something that will take 90 seconds (bonus points if your mailbox is further away) and just DO it.  No thoughts, just do.  Pick something, that one thing, you will do everytime.  Whatever it is, it just needs to get you out of the kitchen in that very particular, exact moment of potential weakness, and give you a short period of time to remember what the difference between want and need is.

Like I said it doesn't matter what the trick is as long as it works. I happen to think mine's particularly "relieving" but maybe I'm a little biased;)